


Waiting for Them

by Purpledragon6



Category: Infinity Train (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, F/M, False Memories, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Recovered Memories, Starting Over, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:21:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26646679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purpledragon6/pseuds/Purpledragon6
Summary: Grace and Hazel manage to leave the train under mysterious circumstances, but the wait isn't over yet as their friends still have to re-join them in the real world.Or is it the other way around?
Relationships: Simon Laurent/Grace Monroe
Comments: 26
Kudos: 66





	1. The World is Broken

**Author's Note:**

> I started the idea for this fic a while ago, but it became too See You Soon like- so I sent it over to be a drabble. Just recently, however, I was struck by inspiration.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace finally recieves her exit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Best Scenario AU. Simon doesn't kill Tuba and Grace gets her exit before they get back to the Apex rather than get stuck in her tape.

When Grace's exit came- it had been a shock to no one except her. They had been right outside the Origami Car when it happened. Just one car away from home. Everyone was safe and alive. They were all together, but then it happened. The golden doors had opened up before her just as her number ran down to zero. It had all happened to fast, that Grace hadn't even noticed it under she felt the warmth of the door against her bare skin. Home was ahead- for the first time in 8 years and for once she looked to it with a sense of true pride welling in her chest. 

"I'm going home-" Her voice sounded so faint in her own ears. "I'm finally-" 

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Simon. Her best friend- co-leader. His eyes were hidden under his bangs, but Grace could tell he was heartbroken. The man made no move to reach out for her, however. Instead, he offered her a small, tired smile. Hazel was beside him, both of her small hands wrapped around his. Tuba was behind them both, a quiet look of pride and sadness scrawled on her face. 

"Grace is leaving..." Hazel noted pitifully, eyes welling with tears. "You're leaving-"

Grace's heart broke into a thousand pieces at the sight of those eyes. So big and sad- It hurt her more than any raid ever had. Hazel was her friend- Hazel needed her like she needed Tuba and Grace was just going to leave her high and dry- She was going to leave the Apex without a leader. In a way, she didn't feel ready to go back home- but if the Train said that she was then she was powerless to stop it. 

"Grace!" Hazel called, her voice so full of panic. "You can't leave! What about the Apex-"

"I don't think I get to choose, Hazel-" Grace whispered. She could feel her exit pulling on her- beconing to go to it. "I'm sorry... This isn't goodbye forever- but I have to go-"

Even before she got off, she was still lying through her teeth. She couldn't promise she would see any of them again- there was a good chance she wouldn't. Simon- she had a chance of running into perhaps once somewhere down the line- but Hazel? Tuba? They were connected to the Train. They belonged here. 

"Don't go! Simon- Tuba! Tell her not to go-" The little girl was on the verge of wailing. Grace shut her eyes tight to hold back her own tears. 

"Hazel-" Grace dropped to her knees and opened her arms. "Before I go-"

The little one her her arms wrapped tightly around her before she could finish. Grace could feel her body becoming lighter and lighter as the magic of the train began to whisk her away. Hazel's grip on her tightened. Her little fists tore at the threads of Grace's shirt. It felt harder and harder to hold onto the girl- she was fading out of Grace's arms.

Soon, Grace would be alone again. Just as she had been when she had first got on the train. There would be no one there to comfort her when she mourned the separation from her friends. No one to assure her they would be fine once she left. Nothing of comfort but the choice to make a better life moving forward. It scared her.

"Don't leave yet-" Whether Hazel or Grace had said that was beyond either of them. It was a whisper- a ghost from an old life. 

In a brilliant flash of golden light- the feeling of fading had stopped. Grace could suddenly feel a warm sun on the back of her neck. The air smelt fresh and familiar- it carries the scent of home on it. She was back- but she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes to confirm this. She couldn't handle not being able to see Hazel-

"Grace-?" Dark eyes flashed opened instantly. 

The little girl was still there- little arms wrapped tightly around Grace and a look of confusion painted on her tiny, chubby face. Grace was too stunned to speak- too shocked to ask questions. With trembling arms, she scooped Hazel up and hugged her tightly. 

Grace had questioned the Train many times in her life- but in this moment she wasn't going to question a miracle. Not now or ever. It had given her her home and Hazel- now if only she knew why-

"Grace?" 

Grace looked down and studied Hazel for a moment. The girl looked more confused than anything. "Where are we...?"

"We're- We're off the train." Grace sniffed. "We're back home-"

"Your home?" Hazel asked, looking about the area with curiosity. "W-where are Tuba and Simon?"

"The Train didn't let them off, I guess... We just have to wait for them to get their exits..."

"Oh... Do you think it'll be soon?" Hazel's face looked so hopeful.

"Maybe- With Tuba around, the whole Apex will probably come with them and we'll all be together-" Her heart was pained. She didn't want to lie to Hazel, but she didn't know what the truth was anymore.

The Train had given her an exit when she felt she didn't deserve it, and she got to take along a denizen. None of it made any sense- and unfortunately Simon wasn't there with any of his protocol or 'facts' to help clear things out. It was just Grace and Hazel against the world now. Ready to face whatever came next- which was figuring out where they were. After that, they needed to find Grace's parents and explain things

Together. 

"Come on, Hazel... Lets go home."


	2. First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace is plagued by horrible nightmares of events that haven't happened. Hazel has the perfect solution.

_Evil._

_That was the only way she could think to describe her friend as he stepped through the car doors- alone... Evil and smug- triumphant even, as he so proudly announced to Hazel that her beloved null- No. That her *mother* was gone. His tone- posture, it all mirrored how Grace had told him about the cat all those years ago. Simon was mocking her-_

_Hazel's heartbreaking cry drew up an old, deeper buried pain in the leader that she hadn't felt in many years. A decade old pang of guilt that stabbed her in the heart... When the little girl ran off, Grace felt a fury she had never felt before and wished to never feel again- and it only grew when Simon playfully asked to compare numbers with her._

_'How can he be so calm!?' She had thought._

_The woman felt disgust and anger- she wanted to strike that blonde bastard so hard it left a mark. To shove him back and take Hazel and abandon everything- but then she remembered. Remembered that *she* had a part in the creation of the world they were currently wrapped up in. That she had the highest number. She was their leader. The first person to ever wheel a null had been her..._

_At one point, Simon had been Hazel. The cat was his Tuba and he had been devastated when she left and... Grace had blown it off. Back then, and just recently-_

_'You created this world... How long did you think you had until it came for you?' A little voice whispered to her. It chilled her soul- but she angrily shook it away._

_Simon had suffered in the past, but that wasn't on her. She helped him create the Apex- established the Nulls and how they would be eliminated- but Grace wasn't about to let Hazel head down the same path if *this* is where it would end up. She created this world and she was going to help dismantle it._

_"I thought you would be happy!" Simon's voice called after her as she left- or was it her own calling back to her from the past? Right now, she wasn't sure._

_Her focus now was on Hazel- the poor child still hunched over and wailing for the loss of her friend. Hesitantly- the older woman reached out to the console the child. The sweet little girl- with claws-_

_Claws that hadn't been there before. And a curved spine that hardened and became shell like the harder she cried. A sweet baby face was quickly replaced by a monstrous beaked one, her cries ringing out louder as her mouth stretched out to make way for large fangs. Her skin went next, molding bumps and ridges of sickly green flesh until she looked more turtle than baby- and then she threw her head back as if to scream her pain to the Heavens._

_A loud, almost demonic screach tore from her. It was deafening and somehow stole the breath from Grace, leaving her unable to scream when-_

* * *

"HAZEL!" 

_Grace awoke with a start, gloved hands furiously pawing wherever she was for- something! Anything to ground her. She felt absolutely blind, even with sight and continued to feel that way until her hand hit a familiar hoodie. What once offered her comfort now made her blood run cold._

_It took everything in her not to run when the body under her hand stirred suddenly. "Grace? What are you doing up?" His voice was groggy and confused- and yet her heart continued to hammer in her chest._

_"Simon- wheres Hazel!?" Grace exclaimed._

_"Hazel- oh... You mean the null." Simon hummed, sitting up so casually it almost looked as though he were made of water. "Don't you remember? You wheeled her."_

_Grace felt her heart still, and tears prick the corners of her eyes, "No-"_

_"Yes." Simon's once familiar eyes were dark, and that smile- that damned smile seemed to be permanently etched on his face. "It solved your number problem. Look."_

_In a swift movement, Grace's gloves were stripped from her. That damn glowing of green nearly blinded them both, her number now snaking up both arms and across her shoulders and up her neck- it felt as low a glowing green noose was wrapping tighter and tighter around her neck until she didn't even have enough air left to scream-_

* * *

"HAZEL! SIMON-" This time, when Grace awoke she had tears streaming down her face, but she hardly cared. The painful burning sensation told her she was truly awake this time, and not caught up in some infinite loop of never-ending nightmares. 

Just like in her dream, she frantically began feeling around for someone- anyone that was still alive and human. Her hand brushed a tangled nest of hair to her left. A small body was pressed up against her side. It was Hazel.

"Oh, Hazel-" Grace cried, running a gentle hand along the child's face.

It had been such a quiet night. The first one in a long, long time. A gentle summer breeze wafted through the still open window, letting in the last of the sun's soft rays. Shadows stretched across the floor, and for once, there was nothing hiding in them. There was nothing to run from now. All that there was left to do now, was to sleep and wait. Wait for the day when their friends ~~who weren't evil~~ to join them back in the real world. 

But Grace couldn't sleep. Not with those dreams. The anxiety she felt over waiting was crushing her. Sometimes she felt like she couldn't breathe under the weight of it all. She feared the day her worst nightmares would come true- that she would receive word that one or more of their friends hadn't and would never get off the train-

All at once, a sob and a hiccup suddenly ripped itself from Grace's chest and she gathered up the still sleeping child into her arms and hugged her as tightly as she could. She buried her face into Hazel's dirty hair. It was dirty and definitely smelled like sweat and mud... Kid smells. Not revolting, but unpleasant enough that Grace made a mental note to wash it before they left. 

_'Where are we again...?"_ She thought, taking in their surroundings.

They were definitely not on the train anymore. The space around them reminded her that they were in a hotel room instead. It was unsettling- unreal even. After being on the train for so long, it felt strange being off of it. The peacefullness of the hotel room was sureal. Well- peaceful was a bit of a stretch here. What she was feeling right now was fear. Fearful that this was all a dream- that she would wake up back on that train again- 

"Grace?" Hazel's little voice, her real one, was enough to draw Grace Back to reality. "Whats wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I-its nothing, Hazel... Just a bad dream." Grace sniffled. "G-go back to sleep. I'll be fine."

"Was it about Simon? You yelled his name and it woke me up." Hazel yawned.

Grace shook her head. Her mind was still buzzing with thoughts of uncertainty. Every possible scenario. Ones where she would wake up and Hazel would be gone- Ones where one or both would end up reclaimed by the train- quarantined by the _False_ conductor, Amelia Hughs! Or by One-One to use as a "teacher" for the other passengers passangers. They'd be thrown to the Apex and ripped to shreds for taking their exits- 

_No... The Apex was fine with us leaving... It was just a dream. Simon isn't evil-_

"Your tummy is gurgling..." Hazel whispered tiredly, pushing her ear deeper into Grace's belly button. "It sounds like a washing machine full of rocks!" 

"Heh... It feels that way." Grace admitted, voice soft.

"Are you sick or just hungry?" The blonde's eyes narrowed and her voice dropped to a whisper. "Do you have to poop?"

Grace forced a laugh, just as a loud growl from her stomach echoed throughout the room, as if to answer for her. 

It reminded Grace that she hadn't eaten since- she wasn't sure when. Back on the train, if her memory served her. And right now it didn't serve her much. Luckily, she could remember her parent's address- she just hoped they were still there... And that they would let her and Hazel in without question after all these years.

_'God- I hadn't even thought of that...'_

"Its just nerves, Hazel. Go back to sleep." Grace sighed.

"Oh- I can't sleep if you're scared... Do you want me to sing you a lullaby?" Hazel offered, "I'd ask Tuba, but shes with Simon on the train!"

A faint feeling of relief washed over Grace- or rather, it crashed over her like violent waves against shore... And she didn't mind it at all. "Y-yeah. I'd like that Hazel..."

Wiping the last of her tears away, the woman scooted closer to the pair and wrapped her arms around them both. Hazel, in turn, scooted up far enough that Grace could use her tummy as a pillow. It comforted Grace to be able to hear the girl's heartbeat. 

"We've got a big day tomorrow, so you need to sleep a lot, right?" Hazel giggled, crading her chubby fingers through Grace's hair gently. 

The older woman feigned a sweet smile. How she longed to be as young and innocent as her new ward was. At least then she wouldn't have to explain anything to anyone...

_'What would I even say? Lie and say I had a teen pregnancy when I ran away? Tell the truth about the magical train that stole me away?'_

A gentle slap drew Grace's attention back to Hazel's sweet face. The little girl was still waiting for her answer. 

"Thats right. We got that bus to catch, and then a long trai-" 

Grace's voice caught in her throat. Her heart went from 0 to 100 at just the mention of a train- even if it was just a regular one this time. Not that she was surprised. As soon as they got off she just knew they'd both be needing therapy... The thought hurt, as she felt it meant she hadn't earned her exit... That she shouldn't be so relieved that the train had shown her mercy when she didn't deserve it.

Tears welled in the corner of her dark eyes, stinging them painfully. Not that it bothered her any. The pain reminded her that she was real. Crying it what made her human. Simon told her that once-

 _'Simon...'_ A mixture of guilt settled like a rock in her stomach and the knot in her throat tightened.

Just as she felt when she received her exit. When she left the Train, taking nothing but the clothes on her back and Hazel with her-Everything else, she left behind. The Train, the conductor, Tuba, the Apex... And Simon. Her best friend- the love of her life. He seemed so heartbroken- but he hadn't gone after her. Hopefully- that meant he knew she had to leave. That it wouldn't be forever. They had promised to always find each other once. That promise transcended worlds-

Hazel's sweet giggle never failed to bring a smile to Grace's face, even when she was grieving. "I know, Grace! You showed me on that BIG map in the lobby, remember?" 

"Yes. I remember." 

Her wallet remembered too, but she wasn't about to let Hazel know that. The blonde had worried enough on the train. Right now the little one just needed to focus on getting back to sleep- or rather on getting Grace back to sleep.

"We got a long way to go to get to your parents." The child grinned. "I'm going to stay up so I can sleep during it. Okay?"

"Okay Hazel..." 

Satisfied with the response, Hazel sat up and pressed her face against the top of Grace's head. It wasn't very comfortable, but Grace wasn't about to complain. Whatever got her to sleep faster. 

"Now, close your eyes and I'll start singing... And I won't stop until you're asleep!" Hazel announced, carding a hand through Grace's hair. "Ready?"

Grace's eyes slid shut tiredly. "Ready."

_"Don't be a worry baby. Don't need to hurry baby, when you're with me~"_


	3. The Lies We Tell

Grace felt like a child again. 

In fact, she felt exactly as she had when she had been caught stealing at the mall 8 years ago. Only this time, her parents weren't coming in to bail her out. The exact opposite, actually. It made her thankful she had the foresight to sneak Hazel into her old room first. The old tree next to Grace's childhood bedroom made for an excellent makeshift ladder for Hazel to get onto her balcony. It had been a while, but Grace was certain she was still hiding there.

_'One less thing to explain... If they saw Hazel right now-'_

The reunion had been- awkward, to say the least. Her parents had been hesitant to touch her or even let her in. May it have been due to fear or too many let downs- Grace wasn't sure. They had wisked her away to a local hospital before she had time to breathe and demanded a blood test. Within hours, they finally had proof that the woman before them was in fact their missing daughter. 

Grace had felt relief at first- but that was before the interrogation began. The trio was gathered around the diningroom table- not for a meal, but rather a very awkward conversation that none of them wanted to have. Especially not Grace. 

"Mom, dad-... I'm sure you have a lot of questio-" 

Her mother slammed a perfectly manicured hand onto the table. "'A lot' doesn't even begin to cover it! 8 years-"

The older woman clutched her dress sleeve in her free hand. Her jaw was set and she looked fit to cry. The emotion on her face was beyond unreadable. All the while, Grace's father stood quietly in the corner. His eyes cast downward in what she assumed was shame.

"I- I know... I'm sorry for running away-" 

"You're sorry!? Where have you been!?" Mrs. Monroe exclaimed, a single tear streaking down her face. "We had every detective searching for you!"

"Its a long story-" Grace groaned. Her face felt hot and her ears hammered loudly. 

Magic trains and purple gorillas didn't make for a very convincing story- but if she made up a story now then she'd have to stick with it for the rest of her life- Maybe her parents would suddenly feel so overjoyed to have their only child back that they wouldn't bother to press things further?

"Well, you've got 8 years to explain it! Get talking!" .... Then again- when had Grace *EVER* had such luck!?

"Its-" 

"Can I come downstairs now?" 

Three sets of eyes turned to the source of the voice. They were lead over to the doorway. A little tuft of messy blonde hair was peaking from behind the wall as Hazel tried to hide herself from view. Grace didn't know if this called for a facepalm or a nervous laugh. Her mother's face had gone from as unreadable to as red as her dress was. 

"Who the HELL is she!?" Her mother exclaimed, looking ready to pull her hair out. 

"T-thats..." The young woman heaved a heavy sigh.

It was in that moment that she chose to lie. Not only to protect Hazel, but also herself. Mentioning the Train now that her mother was worked up would risk her carting Grace off to the nearest mental institution and losing Hazel forever. That would be too great of a loss. She needed to ensure that the little girl would be left in her care.

_'They have proof I'm the real Grace Monroe- they wouldn't look any further into any coverstory I give Hazel- I hope...'_

This would either be the biggest trainwreck since One-One or the best acting of her life. Faking her best, 'motherly' smile, Grace turned to the doorway. "Hazel, its okay! Come here, sweetie."

The little girl poked her head further into the room. Then, she very cautiously slipped inside and sprinted over to Grace. Hazel wiggled into the woman's lap and hid her face in her friend's chest. She was scared, just like Grace was- but the former Apex leader wasn't about to let anyone know that.

"Mom, dad- this is Hazel Monroe." A sharp inhale for courage. "My daughter."

A collective silence fell about the room. The tension was so thick it was practically choking Grace. Her parents' faces had gone from red to near blue in their shock. Their eyes darted between Grace and the very confused Hazel rapidly. So in sync were they that Grace was starting to feel dizzy from watching. 

"Y-your daughter!?" The older woman looked absolutely faint- she quickly collapsed into a nearby chair. "W-with whom!? When did this happen!?"

"It's why I didn't come back- I didn't think you'd understand." A quick glance down at Hazel sent a silent message of 'just play along'. Luckily, the little one nodded. 

"A child at 18- What will the others think!?" Her mother whimpered, burying her face in her hands. "I-is her father-"

"He's a good man, mom... Honest-" With the amount of lies in that sentence, Grace was sure she was going to Hell. 

She hoped Simon's ears were burning because he was in for a world of pain the moment he stepped foot off the Train. If he ever got off, that was. Grace's number may have gone down quickly, but Simon never had much luck getting his number to go in any direction. He was a stubborn boy- a characteristic that brought a faint smile to Grace's face. Hopefully, someday, they'd all get to have a good laugh about this together. 

"I have a grandchild- I'm a grandma!" Mrs. Monroe wept, face still covered. 

Part of Grace wanted to get up and comfort her mother- yet she couldn't bring herself to move. Some of it was out of fear, and some of it was due to the little bit of sick satisfaction she felt from her mother actually paying attention to her after all of those years. Both feelings were pressed down to the deepest pit in her heart, however, as the Train had let her off for Empathy and not cruelty. 

"Mom-" Before she could finish that sentence, Hazel wiggled down from her lap. Grace watched in horror as she went over to the weeping woman and set a tiny hand on her shoulder. 

"It's okay, grandma... Please don't cry... Mommy always told me you had a real pretty smile-"

The girl was ever bit as good an actress as her 'mother'. That was for damn sure. And it seemed to do the trick- Grace's mother finally peaked out from behind her hands, grabbed Hazel's shirt front and pulled the girl in for a very tight hug. Hazel hugged her back and turned quickly to Grace with a wink. A second silent message passed between the two.

_'Come hug with us. It'll be more convincing!'_

The woman did what she wasn't told. She rose from her chair and joined the hug with one arm around Hazel and the other around her mother. Her father had joined the group hug at some point, but that was the least of Grace's concerns. Her mother's sobs had stopped, and thankfully so did her questions. 

For now.


	4. All Hallows Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is measured in inches.

The days has begun to pass by in a blurr. So fast, Grace could barely keep track of of the days anymore. She had begun online classes, and met with a therapist weekly- but even with a schedule going, there was no way of telling what day they were on. It reminded her much of her experience on the Train. There was no night or day or working clocks. Time had been measured in inches there. 

And at home as well. Her parents had taken a shine to Hazel as their new granddaughter. They pampered the little girl and kept her in bows and ribbons with a treat or a dollar always in one hand. There was a chart on the wall to mark down Hazel's measurements for the tailor whenever they stopped by to make a new outfit for the girl. Those numbers always seemed to change whenever Grace would check-

_337 cm of golden tulle_

The young woman glared at her laptop screen. She had been taking down measurements as her mother called them out when she came across that number. That absolutely dreaded, familiar number that had long since disappeared from Hazel's hand. Grace's stomach felt sick suddenly- like a big matted web of anxiety had replaced her breakfast. 

"Does she really need 11 feet of fabric?" Grace hummed to her mother, "I thought she was going as a witch for Halloween-"

"A very fabulous witch requires gathers, darling." Her mother replied, measuring tape still wrapped tightly around a squirming Hazel. "Hold still, dear."

"Mom, you've measured everything but her nose. Just leave her alone." The laptop was shut and Grace sat up. "Halloween isn't for a few weeks now. We still have time-"

"We need time to make adjustments on her costume." Mrs. Monroe huffed, "Especially if she keeps growing the way she does- She's grown a full centimeter around her waist-"

"Thats because you keep giving her cookies!" 

Hazel was finally set loose and rushed away from her 'grandma'. The child made a b-line for Grace and wiggled herself between the woman's back and her chair. A bit of a squeeze, but Hazel's tummy made the perfect pillow even at the awkward angle. 

"I like when Mama Monroe gives me cookies!" Hazel squeaked, feet pressed against Grace's spine. "You gotta try them!" 

"Thanks, but I'll pass." Grace sighed, arching her back away from those little feet.

Her spine was sore as is from all the slouching she had been doing as of late. Luckily, her mother had been too preoccupied with Hazel to berate Grace for her posture. As a matter of fact, her mother rarely paid her any mind at all. Always rushing about to focus on Hazel and her studies. It was nice in a way- but the loneliness was beginning to rear its ugly head in-

"I shouldn't be worried at all worried." Her mother's voice grabbed her attention. "I've signed the three of us up for yoga, after all."

Grace frowned, a slim eyebrow poised higher than the other. "When did you do this?"

"Just recently. I thought it would be a good bonding experience with my girls." Mrs. Monroe sighed wistfully. "It feels like I never have enough time to spend with you both."

_Funny... I was thinking the same thing-_

"That sounds like fun, mom." She lied through her teeth. "I'm sure Hazel will love it."

"I thought you might say that." Her mother smiled an award winning smile before glancing down at her wristwatch. "Oh, look at the time! I have yet to call the tailor in! Excuse me a moment-"

"What time is it anyway, mo-" The woman was gone from the room before Grace could finish her sentence.

The younger woman pressed her lips together, letting out a signature "brrrrr" to show no one that she was disgruntled. That was just like her mother to rush out without answer. She'd check her laptop but the darn thing was too advanced for her to figure out where the damn clock was... Technology sure did change in the time she was away. Things used to be so simple back when she was a child-

"Isn't this great, Grace? Your mom keeps getting me dresses!" Hazel giggled, pushing a little harder on her back. "How come she doesn't get you any?"

"Because she finally has a little doll to deck out in bows and ribbons." Grace sighed, sliding forward on her chair. "I remember when I was your age. I used to get 17 custom made customes for Halloween, at *least*..."

"But not anymore?" She couldn't see it, but she could hear Hazel frown.

"I'm too old for trick-or-treating now... I didn't even realize how close its gotten-"

_We escaped the Train in August and its already September 30th- where did the time go...?_

"You've still got time to pick a costume! You said so!" The little girl wormed her way around to Grace's lap and pressed their foreheads together. 

The child smelt like soap and fancy perfumes. All provided by Grace's mother. They smelt familiar, like a time gone by that Grace thought she would never return to. The smell of home-

"Hazel, I've got too much to worry about." Grace sighed at last. "I've got school work, and my meetings, and taking care of you- all of that comes first."

"I can take care of myself, Grace. Remember? Like in the Colour Car?"

Grace shut her eyes and attempted to call back the Car to memory. It had only been a couple of months since she received her exit, but she found her memory to be muddied from worry. Any image she had of the car had escaped her mind's eyes so quickly she couod barely recall what Roy had looked like when they left- Grace could remember the exit to the Car and the exit to the Train as though it had happened seconds ago, however-

And yet- "Yes, I remember." 

"So all you gotta worry about is trick or treating with me!" The little girl squealed, wrapping her chubby arms around Grace's neck. "Its gonna be so fun!" 

"Yeah, it is..." Grace turned her face away from Hazel carefully.

The girl's face fell instantly, always used to a nuzzle or a cheek kiss from her pretend-mother. "Grace? Whats the matter?"

"Nothing, Hazel- I think I'm just tired." Not a lie. 

Grace hadn't been sleeping very well as of late. Her dreams had been plagued by dreams worse than the ones she had suffered their first night home. Dreams of strange places- of Simon is various forms. In one dream, he had gone mad- had thrown her from the train. Tuba was long dead and Hazel had vanished... She had seen him eaten alive by a Gohm- other times badly burned by one. He had been in chains in some of her dreams- in one dream, she was the one lead away while he walked free in the real world... There were so many different outcomes, but so rarely did her dreams involve him actually leaving the train and returning to her-

_Its just nerves- Simon will get his exit someday..._

"About trick-or-treating? Or do you have bad dreams too?" Hazel asked, head cocked to one side. "What are they about?"

"Nothing seriously." Another lie, 

The girl dropped her voice to a whisper. "Are they spooky dreams like ghosts and gobblins?" 

"Not at all. That sort of thing doesn't scare me." Grace laughed. "No- I guess I'm just missing Simon and Tuba is all..."

"I miss them too." She huffed sadly. "Grace? Do you think they'll get off the Train?"

"Y-yes! Of course- I don't doubt it." A third lie... A new record. "They'll come home soon- and we'll all be together again. I promise."

"In time for Tricks and Treats?" The little one's eyes were as wide as saucepans.

"Maybe- I know Simon used to love Halloween." Grace sighed faintly. "It be nice to have him home in time to be with us..."

"Does it make you sad to be away from Simon so long?" Grace hadn't been expecting an interrogation- yet here they were.

"Y-yes-" _A fourth lie..._

For some reason or another, she had felt a touch relieved when they escaped. Grace loved Simon with her whole heart, but there wasn't a moment where she had thought to bring him with her. There wasn't even a second where she had made a grab for him. He hadn't changed, but there was something about memories of her old friend that now put her in a state of unease. She had always blamed in on the dreams...

"Grace? You're lying." Hazel surmised. 

"I'm not- It's just... I've been having really scary dreams about Simon lately and- I think all of that coupled with how tired I've been has been messing with my head-" 

Hazel pressed her head to Grace's stomach suddenly, listening very intently for- something? "Your tummy is gurgling again... Do you have to go potty, Grace?"

A chuckle rose from the woman's throat. "No- its just nerves again."

"Oh... Do you think a nap would help?" 

"Probably not... Not unless I have a dream that doesn't involve Simon going crazy-" A small finger pressed against Grace's lips in a 'hush' like gesture.

"I gotta song that'll help you sleep with good dreams." Hazel whispered, leaning up slightly to peck Grace on the forehead.

"If it's Tuba's Lullaby, I don't think-" This time Hazel's whole hand covered Grace's mouth.

"Nope- Simon taught me this one- As thanks for teaching him Tuba's song." Hazel smiled, whistling through the gap in her teeth as she did.

"He taught you a song?" Grace frowned. She had never known Simon to he the type to sing in front of others- much less strangers. 

_Then again- He did ask Hazel to teach him Tuba's song..._

"Mhm! Wanna hear it?" Hazel asked sweetly, drawing Grace back to reality.

"... Sure Hazel." Fifth and final lie for the day.

"Okay- You gotta lay down and shut your eyes." Hazel went on, shutting Grace's laptop and all but pushing the woman back against her chair.

It was a wingback chair- not the most comfortable place to fall asleep- but it was better than nothing. At least there was a spot for Grace to rest her aching head and shut her eyes finally. Hazel's little hands rested atop her eyelids to make sure they stayed closed. 

"I'm gonna start singing- so you gotta start sleeping, okay?" A quick nod from Grace seemed to satisfy the girl. 

Grace didn't catch the tune or the words of Hazel's song. She found herself slipping into sleep long before the girl could even begin. Her eyes were too heavy for her to open, even without Hazel's hands in the way. In this state, she felt like she could sleep straight through to Halloween Night-

_With how fast time is going... I wouldn't be surprised if I did..._

With that thought in mind, Grace finally allowed the darkness to claim her- sending with it a quick prayer that this nap's dreams wouldn't involve something awful... Simon was optional- but she hoped for something happier. 

With Hazel's soft singing as a muffled background noise, she was almost certain that she would have peaceful dreams.


	5. Shattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace finally sleeps. Hazel has work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hazel's POV.

Grace always looked like an angel when she slept.

Hazel had often watched her the few times Grace would take a nap. Which wasn't often, now of days. The woman would often force herself to stay awake- always afraid the world would melt away the next time she woke up... And she wasn't too far off.

As soon as Grace's tired eyes slid shut did the sewing room around them begin to fade. Posh powder blue walls melted into white, items vanished into thin air, and even Hazel's height chair disappeared as though it had never existed. There was nothing left but the woman and her turtle friend. As it had always been. May she have realized it or not. 

"I always hate this part." Hazel whispered, carding a hand gently though Grace's hair before rising to her feet.

She cupped her hands around her mouth and called. "Simon? Are you here?"

Her voice echoed loudly about the space, chilling her when it came back. There wasn't a soul for miles, and yet she still felt as though she were being watched. By whom- well, that was anyone's guess. 

"Well, hello young denizen!" A voice, not Simon, called. 

Hazel jumped and searched the area until she spotted the owner of the voice. A tiny robot, no bigger than her knee, came scurrying towards her like a large spider. It took all of her strength not to flinch.

"Hello, One-One." Hazel sighed, "Have you seen Simon...?"

"Well, yes and no." A voice, Glad-One replied. 

"Depends which one you're looking for." Sad-One added. 

"Um- regular one?" Hazel shifted from one foot to the other awkwardly. 

"Regular one?" The robot sounded puzzled for a moment, "Ah! You mean the recently deceased!"

Hazel frowned deeply and glanced over her shoulder at Grace's still sleeping form. Her friend, 'adoptive-mother', protector- At least, thats what Grace thought she was, but Hazel knew better. She knew things Grace would hopefully never remember. Horrible things- horrible truths that the Train had the foresight to erase forever. Things that, as Grace's assigned denizens, Hazel had been sworn never to tell her about. 

Her first mission with the passenger had been a near failure. She left Grace brokenhearted- something that the shattered pieces still desperately clung to... It was just after the death of a passenger that the Train had decided to step in and- in lack of a better phrase, 'try again'. The thought made Hazel's skin crawl.

"N-no... The one who we left on the train... With Tuba..."

"Ah. The first remake- Ms. Grace didn't seem too happy with that one so we tried again." Glad-One laughed. 

"But she's not happy with *any* of them! She wasn't happy with the first one-" Hazel exclaimed, "The real Simon tried to hurt her- She doesn't need him to be good-"

A laugh cut her off- a cold, frightening, robotic laugh. It served to remind her of what she was talking to and where she was at- trapped on a self proclaimed 'self-growth' Train whose mission it was to kidnap passengers and subject them to often deadly cars in a sickening game of numbers... All in the name of a 'lesson'.

And she was nothing more than a pawn, used to push that lesson onto the next unsuspecting passenger.

"Oh, dear. You are mistaken." Glad-One laughed.

"The real Simon Laurent has been dead longer than he's known Grace Monroe." Sad-One sighed. 

"W-what do you mean-?" Hazel stepped back, always keeping an eye on Grace.

"The Train only picks up humans who are capable of change- but this particular one had a few bugs in his brain. We've seen it before. Its nothing any of our cars seem to be able to cure." Both voices responded with a shrug. "We can't *not* return a passenger home if they aren't fixed, but those little brain-bugs only seem to raise their numbers..."

Hazel swallowed thickly. "What kind of 'brain-bugs' did Simon have?"

"Oh, something 'clinical'... He's been here so long that we don't recall." The robot shrugged again and skittered up Hazel's shoulder. 

"Clinical? Like doctor?" The girl frowned.

"Perhaps, but this isn't a Doctor Train, now is it?" One-One 'sighed' softly. "We will get it right eventually! We have before!"

The conductor lept from the girl's shoulder and landed- or rather floated on top of the white void that surrounded them. A thin screen appeared before it and a thin metalic arm before to scroll through it. An image of a familiar blonde with a large red X appeared. It was swiped away quickly and replaced by a new photo. A new Simon- this one looked kinder with a warm smile- hardly recognizable.

The turtle girl looked away from the image quickly. Those eyes seemed to be staring menacingly at her. "I thought... Ms. Amelia said you didn't know a lot of your passengers-... How come you know so much about Simon-" 

"Oh, that is just something we told her for stealing our Train..." Sad-One huffed. "We know *everyone* on this Train... Simon shouldn't feel special... And he can't. Because hes dead-"

"And you killed him." Hazel surmised quickly. "The real him- and the others...?"

"Correct! They were causing our passenger such terrible nightmares. We want to send the perfect one back hom-"

"Why not just leave him dead then!?" Hazel snapped- her throat already burning from unshed tears. 

She had tried to love Simon and Grace once- she supposed that was what all denizens had been designed to do. She had tried to bond with her Simon- to help him, but he had done wrong. It lead her to hate him and abandon her post long before she knew she even had one. It had been such a long time since that fateful trip- such a long time since she began living this lie...

Hazel had wanted to help passengers like Amelia. She had felt it was her job... 

"If we left him dead then it would only create more passengers, all with the same problem." Glad-One replied, "Theres much damage a missing child could cause- and Grace Monroe was so badly effected by this one's death. It's just easier this way."

"But he died because you couldn't help him!" Fat, frustrated tears sprung into Hazel's eyes. 

"And he'll continue to die until we can!" Sad-One muttered.

"But if it can be helped, then both Simon Laurent and Grace Monroe will be able to leave this Train happily!"

"They won't be happy- they'll be living a lie!" Hazel cried, wiping her eyes furiously. "We all are-"

"Uh-uh. We designed this Train to *help* others." Glad-One said, she could feel the smile on his smile-less face. "We're helping them."

Hazel felt her shoulders droop. So far that she was certain her arms would fall off eventually. It felt as though the wind had been sucked from her sails. There was nothing she could say to convince him otherwise. That all of this was wrong- all she could do was to keep up this charade and hope that one day it would come to a head... That one day Grace Monroe would be free of this place for good.

In the far corner, she could see the sewing table from Grace's 'house' slowly begin to return. Powder blue began to occupy the space around them. Grace was slowly waking up again- The photo of the Fake!Simon now had a bright green check atop of it.

"I think we found one that is just right." One-One said, "We'd best be off. Good luck, Hazel dear!"

"Thanks..." Hazel muttered, wiping the last of her tears.

"H-Hazel...?" Grace's voice sent a shiver down the girl's spine. 

Hazel covered her eyes and scrubbed the last of the tears and the last of the white void out of them. She was shaking in a mix of fear and anger, but she forced herself to be still before Grace could see... By the time she reopened her eyes, they were back where they started. In the sewing room, with Grace lounging tiredly in her wingback chair was Hazel stood a few feet away.

"Hazel? Are you okay?" Grace muttered sleepily, "Whats wrong? Why are you crying?"

Hazel sniffled one last time and turned. She forced a smile, one that rivaled Grace's award winning one... Maybe she was Grace's 'daughter' after all.

"I'm okay, Grace... I just feel like Simon is going to be home soon..."

When Grace's face lit up this time, Hazel's little heart stopped.


	6. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friend returns home.

_"It's fascinating how much of ourselves defends on which bed we wake up in."_

Or something like that. Grace had read it in a book once- she believed. Or maybe Simon had shown it to her when they were children. Some child's book about a little girl traveling through a magical door where a better but twisted world was hidden. Grace couldn't remember the name of the ending. Just the quote. 

"And I hardly rememeber that." She groaned, sitting up in her windback chair. 

At any rate, it had some truth to it. Grace felt utterly discombobulated when she awoke. It took her much too long to remember her name or where she was, or the day. She remembered waking up earlier and the brief talk with Hazel that followed- or was that the other day? It certainly felt that way, though it seemed to be the same time when she first woke up. "Hazel? Where are you?"

"I'm in the kitchen!" Hazel called back, her voice sounding nearer than it should have been.

With a shrug and a pop of both shoulders, Grace rose and shook the rest of the stiffness out of her tired body. Even with the nap, she still felt as exhausted as ever. And just as sore, though that may have been from being in the chair for so long. On aching legs, she stepped out of the sewing room and made her way down the hall. The last of the setting sun poked through the windows, warming her cool skin as she passed. 

The light didn't stretch down the stairs. The polished marble looked dark and dull now. The steps were just as cold on Grace's bare feet as she stepped down them. At the bottom of the stairs, she turned and headed through the empty diningroom and into the attached kitchen. There, she found her ward parked in front of a bowl of cereal.

"Hazel? Ceral for dinner?" 

The girl frowned. "It's morning, Grace." 

"Morning?" Grace frowned and glanced out the nearest window. "Have I really been asleep that long?"

"Sure have!" Hazel giggled, taking a spoonful of cereal. "Grace, is Cereal just Soup?"

"I'm- not sure?" Grace shrugged, scooting over to a neadby coffee pot. "And remember, I told you to call me 'mom' when we're here."

"But nobody else is home!" Hazel pouted. "Just you and me."

"Where has everyone gone then?" The woman frowned, taking a slow sip from the pot. If no one was home, there was no need to bother with a mug. 

"Your mom went out and your dad is at work." 

"Is that so?" Grace hummed.

A chair was pulled up beside the girl and Grace gave Hazel's mess of hair a gentle tossle. She always loved the girl's messy locks. Always dirty and smelling of mud and other kid things. Even after a very good bath. 

Hazel giggled again and pushed against Grace's fingers like a little cat. "It is so!"

"Which means we can get up to whatever we want." Grace snickered. "What should we do first?"

Hazel smiled sweetly, but it dropped all too quickly. "We have to go pick Simon up."

The pot clattered against the table loudly. Grace's throat and nose stung as a sharp inhale sent coffee down the wrong pipe. It stung horribly and her eyes watered as she choked for air. 

"S-Simon-!?" She wiped her eyes. "H-He's back?"

"I told you I had a feeling he'd be home soon..." Hazel whispered into her cereal. "Tip your head back. It'll help."

Following the advice, Grace tipped her head back. Tears continued to slide down her cheeks, but no longer from her cough. The sun's rays flooded the kitchen in a warm, near blinding yellow light. Like the telltale glow of a Train's exit...

* * *

Had his eyes always been brown? 

For as long as Grace could remember, her friend had had blue eyes. Though sometimes they lookes green, and other times she remembered hazel. Perhaps she hadn't paid close enough attention to them. They were certainly familiar in appearance. Staring into them was like looking through the door back home...

"Are you just going to stand there?" That smirk was his. 

That messy blonde hair and ridiculous half hoodie were also all his. A smudge of red was streaked across the bridge of his nose still. That was the sign she needed to confirm that he was in fact her Simon from the Apex Car... For now.

"Simon-" A laugh bubbled up from her throat. "Hey-"

"Hey-" The man laughed softly, opening his arms to Grace. "Long time no see-"

Grace hesitated, fearful that stepping into those arms would cause her friend to disappear forever. Hazel, on the other hand, raced into those open arms and pressed her face into Simon's stomach. Simon wrapped his arms tightly around the tot. 

"That guy is back!" The girl teased.

Simon wrinkled his nose playfully. "Good to see you too, Hazel." 

The pair held each other close for a few more seconds before they turned their attention back to Grace. The woman smiled tiredly and stepped forward. The moment she was close enough, they pulled her into the group hug. Both felt solid as they held her.

Her friends were as warm as the sun and had their own unique scents that she could only associate with them. Simon of old books, dark coffee, and paint and Hazel of dirt and sweat. Neither bothered her nose all that much. She was just happy to have them both in her arms again...

Thats what she would say if any of that were true. While the scents and warmth didn't bother her any, that bothered her. Her Simon has always felt cold whenever they would hug and he could never stand to be near coffee without something in it. If Grace's memory served her, her friend had always smelt of paint and smoke. Not unpleasantly so, but noticeably whenever Grace would get close.

And Hazel-, who seemed more thrilled to see Simon over Tuba- her hug felt too tight. As though she were holding onto Grace for dear life. 

"Grace? Whats wrong?" Simon's gentle voice drew her from her thoughts. 

"N-nothing." She lied, placing a hand against Simon's warm face. "I'm just so happy to see you again... It feels like a dream."

"I could pinch you to prove it if you want." That devilish smirk was back. But it had no edge to it. 

Not wanting to alarm the possible imposter, Grace smirked back."Don't bother. You never could pinch me very hard."

Simon's face dropped quickly. "Is that a challenge?"

_"Is that a challenge?"_

A chill ran down Grace's spine. That tone sounded so sinister... So familiar some how. 

Not only that- she was near certain his eyes had gone blue again-

"No-" And just like that, they were brown again. "I'm fine, Simon. Really... Just tired."

"Haven't been sleeping?" A nod, "Me either... I'm glad to be off that damn Train finally."

"Me too." Grace smiled faintly and slipped her hand into Simon's. 

His hands were warm and rough around hers. The hands of a self-taught carver who spent many days perfecting his craft between raiding cars. The calloused skin was blunt against Grace's fingers. She gave the hand an experimental squeeze, half expecting it to vanish in a brilliant cloud of smoke... It didn't. 

"Come on. We've earned a nap." 


	7. Progress Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon catches Grace up to speed.

It was midday by the time they all got settled in. Hazel was upstairs taking a nap, and Grace was with Simon in the kitchen. A kettle hummed quietly on the stove and two matching cups of tea were set between the pair. Grace watched as Simon studied his with what she could only describe as a "lack of interest in."

"We have coffee, you know?" She hummed, between sips of her drink.

"I know- I just took it to be polite." Simon shrugged, taking the cup carefully in hand. "Thanks, by the way-"

"Don't mention it." 

A comfortable silence fell between the pair, filled only by an occasional bird chirp from outside. It was- peaceful to say the absolute least. A million questions were running between them both- so much so that Grace could practically hear Simon's thoughts... Or maybe they were just her's and she was just assuming Simon thought them too.

She wanted to know everything- how Tuba was- how the Apex had been doing in her absense- IF they ever got back to the Apex... And how was Simon feeling about all of this? He looked fine, but something was off. She could feel his concern.

Subconsciously, Grace reached out her hand and tangled their fingers together carefully. Simon looked up slightly and squeezed her hand. He offered her a tired, lopsided smile and she gave him one of her own in return. It felt as if it was just the two of them again, just how they had started. 

Only now there was no limit. No waiting around for a number to determine when their time together would end. They were free to live today and everyday after with one another or however they saw fit. 8 years would soon be nothing in the rearview mirror- At least... Grace hoped it would be. 

The Simon who had come back to her wasn't perfect by anyone's means, but he was her's. Living proof of what they had survived together. A kindred spirit of sorts- one who would help keep Hazel's secret while still understanding why it had to be kept. Someone to turn to when nightmares about the Train's infinity outcomes became too much-

"Grace? You good?" Before Grace could react, Simon had brushed a few wayward tears from her cheek.

"Y-yeah... I'm just really glad you're here-" She sighed, setting her hand overtop his. 

The blonde smiled, "Yeah... I really missed you after you left."

"Is that so? I would've thought you'd be glad to be rid of me." Grace teased, but Simon's smile dropped instantly.

"It was Hell-" Simon muttered, "I didn't think my number would ever get down to zero- I didn't want it to at first- but it wasn't worth not being able to see you-"

Her heart skipped a beat. Then it dropped into her shoes. "Y-yeah...?" 

Her hands fell away from his and folded nervously on her lap. She was suddenly aware of just how loud the birds were chirping, how late in the afternoon it was- (surely her parents would be home soon), and just how close Hazel actually was in relation to the kitchen. Anyone could walk in and see them or worse- overhear everything.

Seemingly sensing her discomfort, Simon took his own hands back. He then rose from his chair and went to shut the kitchen window- Grace could make out the faint blush that stained his face through the windows reflection.

"F-forget I said that last part." He breathed, "Just know that I got my number down-"

She nodded. "And the rest of the Apex...?" 

In the reflection, the blonde smiled again, "You would've been so proud of them..."

Her heart rose again. "Did they-" 

A nod, "Every single one of them."

Grace rose from her chair so fast she knocked it over. It clattered loudly to the floor, but she was too excited to care. "If they're all off of the Train- that means we can go find them- maybe Hazel can be friends with some of them! Simon, we have an entire support network of kids-"

Simon looked over his shoulder curiously. "I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself there, Grace. I mean, finding an entire army of kids can't be easy and I'm not sure their parents would be happy of two strangers just showed up and started talking about a Murder Train-"

That didn't dampen the woman's spirits in the slightest. That sort of 'useless facts' nonsense was one of the things she loved about Simon. "Come on Simon. Humor me a little."

"I absolutely will not." The man smirked playfully and folded his arms over his chest.

"Come on, Simon! I always humor you." She teased right back, trying to force the other's arms apart.

"Name once."

"Um-"

"See?" 

Grace thought a moment longer. "Oh, wait! What about the time I kissed you when we were kids because you wanted to know 'what it was like'?"

Simon snickered, "That wasn't even a real kiss. That was a peck and then you laughed in my face."

It was Grace's turn to snicker. She remembered that day well. It had been bath night in the Lake Car when they were about 13. What had been an innocent enough inquiry had lead to a good 15 minutes of awkward discussion until Grace grabbed Simon's hands and- true to story- pecked him... And proceeded to laugh in his face. 

Just like she was doing right now. "Come on. Don't act like it didn't blow your little mind."

"It did and I ended up so hopelessly in love with you that I ended up getting my number down to zero just to be with you." Simon laughed. 

"Aww. I knew you were in love with me!" Grace's sides were beginning to ache. Simon finally uncrossed his arms and pulled her into a tight hug and buried his face in her shoulder. "Come on. You know you love me."

"Of course I do." The man muttered. He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder over her shirt and she sighed happily. 

"I... I love you too." Grace hummed, pressing the side of her head to his. The contact made her feel warm- loved. It reminded her just how much she missed having someone this close to her. Of how much she missed Simon.

"Good... Because now you're stuck with me." He mused, hugging her a little tighter. 

"I'm fine with that." 

Grace wasn't sure when Simon had looked up or when their lips connected, but she didn't pull back. It felt like the right thing to do in this moment. As her eyes slid shut, she wondered if any of this was real or just a wonderful dream. 

_And if it is, I'll kill any idiot who tries to wake me up from it..._


	8. Time Keeps on Slipping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life goes on.

She wasn't sure how much time had truly passed. Minutes, hours, days-? 

They were all lost to her. Halloween came and went, with Simon and Grace taking Hazel around the neighborhood as though she were their own child. Their hands always found one another's whenever Hazel would let go to run to the next house. They stayed close to each other for warmth and watched with matched pride as their 'daughter' rang doorbells all by herself. 

At the end of the night- they looted Hazel"s Halloween bag after she fell asleep. 

They told her Santa stole it.

.

Holidays had passed by in a blurr. For Thanksgiving, they visited Grace's extended family. At Christmas, they saw Simon's. And at one point, just before Christmas- they even got to visit Todd and Lucy. This came after the discovery that the former Apex kids attended the same school their leaders had enrolled Hazel in. Neither child spoke of the Train or of Denizens during those visits, only ever sending the adults a knowing glance instead- and both Simon and Grace had been thankful. 

New Years was a blurr of sparklers and stolen alcohol. The duo had made it all the way to Time Square to watch the ball drop. Hazel was with Grace's parents for the night. It was one of the only nights Simon and Grace truly had no responsibilities again. They acted as a perfect couple (which they might as well have been at that point) and had their second kiss at Midnight to ring in the New Year. 

The following morning, they had woken up beside one another in bed- the first of many times together in a silent and unofficial relationship of some kind.

* * *

Two Months later, in February, the trio finally moved out of Grace's place. They settled into a small, simple house that her parents had bought them. It wasn't much, but neither was their old Mall Car. That was enough for them.

A few days later, on Valentines Day, Grace had told Simon that she loved him and meant it. He didn't have to say it back. The blonde had just smiled at her. That night, they took Hazel out to the movies and then to dinner. The little girl had innocently asked if they had kissed again yet. That night marked the 3rd time that they had (intentionally and remembered it.)

The night ended with Hazel in bed and the couple off to celebrate in their own way.

...

On the first day of summer vacation, they took Hazel camping at a local beach. During the day they had played in the water and at night, they warmed up by a fire and told ghost stories. Hazel's had always been the scariest ones. Twisted tales about how the Train might have worked. Most of her stories were brutal and involved murder...

Then Simon gave her another marshmallow, and the stories ended there.

...

4th of July had been fascinating to say the least. As fascinating as kids with fireworks could be. Simon chased after Hazel and her friends as the rowdy girl show bottle rockets from still filled bottles of coke. Grace could only sit and laugh at how much the act reminded her of the old days of the Apex. 

Memories of her rambunctious kids began to fill her mind- all of them being so destructive in their own unique way. Some used fire, other's used sticks- some were like Lucy and were pacifists unless they needed to be otherwise... A feeling of sadness and nausea settled into the empty pit of her stomach at the thought.

She assumed she was just missing her kids...

...

When Hazel went back to school in September, she discovered that wasn't the case. After they had dropped her off and the final bell rang, Grace hurried off and emptied her stomach into a nearby trashcan. It was another 25 minutes before she found herself sitting on a toilet seat lid with a pregnancy test in hand and two little lines over it...

Simon had been waiting outside the whole time. She just walked out and hugged him to give him the news...

On their second Halloween together, they eloped. 

* * *

Nine Months rushed by just as quickly as the previous year had- only slowing down to a crawl during the last 36 hours of Grace's pregnancy. Her husband and their 'daughter' waited with her and held her hands as she labored the whole time. During the process- she wondered if this is what it felt like to be wheeled...

 **Samuel Emilie** and **Jessica Tuğba Laurent-Monroe** were born later that night. Their son resembled his mother, and their daughter- her father. Hazel frowned at her newborn 'siblings', and remarked softly that they looked weird. 

Grace assured her she would get used to them.

* * *

In time, the twins grew to resemble Hazel the most. They all had mixed skin and wild hair. At times, Grace would sometimes find herself forgetting that Hazel wasn't one of her own. Whenever she'd think back to how she came to be Hazel's mother, she'd remember a painful cramping in her abdomen and began to wonder if somehow she had given birth to the girl without realizing it-

Then she'd remember herself, and go right back to cutting apples for her kid's lunches. The twins were cutting their teeth now- her mother recommended frozen apples.

...

Nights of breastfeeding, crying, changing diapers, and cleaning up spit up seemed so far away now. Her children were all starting school now. Hazel was in the 5th grade and the twins were starting pre-school. Both Grace and Simon hid the tears in their eyes as Mrs. Monroe snapped photos of her grandchildren in their school clothes. 

Hazel had grown quite tall in the past few years. She was almost to Simon's chest. Like her 'father' she had taken to wearing crazy coloured cropped sweaters overtop her school uniform, and her hair had been chopped off and fashioned into a short ponytail. Whenever the duo stood next to each other, Grace could swear she was seeing double- but in the nicest way possible.

When they dropped their trio off, they all exchanged the tightest hugs and the longest 'I love you's. It felt as if their children would disappear the moment they walked through those doors... 

The parents held on just a little longer than the children.

* * *

After they got back into the car, Grace's hand found Simon's. She held it all the way back home. And continued to do so once they were back inside and headed to their shared bedroom. As they settled into bed together, Grace asked the same thing she had asked every instance before-

"None of this is real, is it...?" 

Simon answered the same way he always had. "No..."

"I figured..." She always had, and she kissed the back of his hand.

"So why go along with it...?" He kissed her cheek. 

"I wanted to see what would happen." She mused, "And you?"

"Same..." His brown eyes bore into hers. "I'm sorry..."

Grace smiled faintly and set a hand against his cheek. It was still warm and solid, and that made her feel at ease. "What are you sorry for?"

"I have a feeling I have a lot to apologize for." Simon hummed, "I'm not sure what for-"

"It'll come to you..." Her eyes were beginning to feel heavy. "I don't want to go to sleep..."

"Me either..." 

Their hands found each other's again and their fingers intertwined tightly. 

"Want to stay up as long as we can so this never goes away...?" Grace asked and Simon nodded. 

There was no point and they both knew it. They'd sleep before they knew it and when they woke up, this place would be gone and they would be back on the Train. Unready to ready whatever was their true reality... This old on would be nothing more than a dream that would be gone from both of their minds in time. 

"I love you..."

"I know." 

They were asleep by the end of that sentence.


	9. The Lobby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to get answers.

She used to love ballet once. 

Her favorite part had always been twirling. 

She used to spin and hop and twirl until she would collapse into a heap on herself. Unable to open her eyes as her brain continued to spin without her. A magical moment of pure vulnerability as she waited for the world to slow once more. Then she'd open her eyes and be precisely where she had stopped...

But there was no magic this time. The overwhelming dizziness startled her. The constant turning had no end in sight. Eyes open, or eyes shut, the world continued to spin without her. Whats worse- at the same time, she felt as though she were falling rapidly into nothing as she spun. Numb fingers reached out for something to ground herself with and found nothing...

But just as she was about to resign herself to her fate- the world went still again. Grace felt her body hit the hard ground and she curled onto herself protectively. Where ever she had landed was warm- but she knew better than to lie to herself. She knew better than to hope that she was back in her "home", having simply fallen out of bed. The silence reminded her of that. There was no home- no children to return to- and above all, there was no Simon. 

Her friend had died on the Train- she remembered that now. She remembered everything through the blurry lenses of her mind. The dizziness seemed to have knocked loose the rose coloured tint that had fallen over them. Horrible thoughts crept out of their hiding places in her brain and wormed their way in behind her eyes. Even without truly seeing, she could remember the death of Simon Laurent behind closed eyes. 

Wind whipped around her, but she was sure she wasn't outside- or unsure. The Train was a mystery to her, even if she claimed to be an expert. After all- it had just built her a perfect world, with a perfect friend and for a moment she had allowed herself to be selfish with it. Even when she knew none of it had been real. She had been suspicious the moment Hazel left with her-

"H-Hazel..." The swirling fog in Grace's brain cleared quickly as she sat up and opened her eyes. 

The room was white- akin to the tape she had been trapped in. The ones her Simon had trapped her in... The woman shuddered and looked down at her arms- all dark and beautiful without a hint of static to hide her low number. It was a short lived feeling of relief. As she continued to scan the room, she found no sign of her little turtle friend... Or of an exit. 

"Oh God..." Hands shook wildly. She turned herself in so many circles that she eventually had to sit down and rest her eyes. 

Everytime they shut, even to blink, she feared the world would be changing behind them. That she would reopen them and be trapped somewhere new- but this time she never did. The world around her remained white. A bleak nothingness with no end in sight- far more dizzying than any twirling she had ever done in her lifetime thus far.

"I want to go home..." A voice, perhaps hers muttered the next time she closed her eyes. They stung with tears, but she wiped them away quickly and lifted her head. 

When next they opened, the world *had* changed. This time, she caught sight of a dark red and gold car exit as it loomed ominously before her. Such a contrast was it to everything else, that she almost believed it to be an illusion. And yet she still found herself moving closer to it- or perhaps it was moving towards her...

No matter.

Without the better half of her senses, she staggered to her feet and hobbled to it. With trembling arms and stiff fingers, she managed to push the Infinity shaped lock. It clicked loudly and the door slid open, opening out to a bridge leading outside of the train. The colours of the world stung Grace's eyes, but she hurried to embrace it. To rejoin some kind of reality again. 

The creaking of the old bridge, the sting of the cold metal handrail- it was all welcomed as she hurried along, away from whatever that horrible car had been. She had no recollection of having ever traveled to it alone. No idea how she had gotten there, but she was glad to be free from it. Away from fake parents, fake children, and that fake copy of her attacker. The ones she had used to live out some kind of sick dream where everything had gone right- 

As she opened the next car's door, her blood ran cold. Stark white walls greeted her. The room was warm with a gentle breeze blowing in it from an unseen force.

"I-I never left-!?" Her voice startled her as it echoed off of the empty walls, carrying something else back with it. 

A groan of pain. One that hadn't come from her. But instead from the body that lay further inside- one she hadn't noticed when she had first arrived. They were huddled in a corner- if the room had corners- with arms crossed over their head. But even with their face hidden, she had a sinking feeling she knew who it was...

Grace would have fled, but as she turned she found the iron bridge falling away from behind her. It clanked loudly as if to remind her that she was trapped. With no other choice, she entered the car and slammed the door shut behind her. 

* * *

The room went black instantly- as though the only source of light had been coming from the open door. Grace stumbled blindly the first few steps- guided only by the faint glow of her number as she went. Against her better judgment (and with no choice) she made her way to the other passenger and knelt beside them. She reached out a hand carefully and set it on their shoulder-

The passenger sprung away from her, as if her touch had burned him. She could hear the clank of a wall hitting his back as he slammed into it. Another groan of pain confirmed this was the man who she had heard earlier. Grace held her glowing hand near his face- trying to get a better look at him...

Brown eyes were the first thing she registered. Even in the green glow of her number, she could tell. Her heart sunk miserably into her stomach at the sight of them.

"S-Simon..." The passenger squinted at her. 

"Grace...?" The man held up his own number (significantly lower than her Simon's had been) and set it next to her face. "No- this isn't right..."

"What do you mean-?" Grace felt her throat tighten angrily.

More hidden memories began to flood in from the back of her mind. Of her Simon- the blue eyed boy she had saved when they were children. The one who killed their friend's denizen and let her leave like she meant nothing to him. She remembered him trapping her in her own tape, then throwing her to the wheels after she escaped... After he took over the Apex from her.

"You're not real." Simon's voice brought her back to reality. "The Train made you up so I'd have someone to talk to..."

"What are you talking about!?" She exclaimed, closing her hand and hitting him blindly in the dark, "You're the one who isn't real! My Simon died-"

A hand caught hers. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could make out this Simon's frown. "You were the girl from my dream- The Train made *you* up!"

"Your dream-?" Grace lowered her fist and re-opened to better see the man. "No- you came from my dream... You got off the Train, and we were married and-"

"Had three kids..." Simon finished up dryly. "... You asked me if it was real and I said no-"

Hot tears stung the corners of Grace eyes and she scrubbed them away furiously. It was one thing, to have imagined a Simon of her own to fall in love with. It was another thing entirely for the Train to have given her a perfect stranger disguised as her friend. The things they did- the life they lived... The thought made Grace's stomach turn until she felt as though she were having fake morning sickness with her non-existent children again-

_No... The Train wouldn't be that cruel... Its here to help us...._

"The Train made you up after my Simon died." Grace hissed to the figment, "A perfect copy from my own mind-"

"... What?" The man sounded so confused, Grace almost believed him. 

"The real Simon died when the gohm killed him... After the real one attacked me" The woman shot back, voice sarcastic- angry- ready to bitch out One-One at a moments notice should she be proven wrong.

"Thats impossible-" 

"Because you'd 'never hurt me'?" Grace huffed, "Its a lie-"

"Because I don't know you other than in our dream!"

A silence as thick as fog fell between the pair. The dark seemed to grow darker around them the longer it went on. Until soon they were simply two passengers, floating in a Void together. 

"What-" 

"... When I was 10, a Gohm came and took me away from my denzin- I ended up here... Then you showed up with that little girl and it was like I knew you my whole life!"

"No... No, I saved you from the Gohm that day-" 

"Did you? Do you actually remember what the boy looked like? Whoever you 'saved' that day wasn't me!" 

"He looked like you! Blonde hair, socks with sandals, blue eyes-" 

"See! I don't have blue eyes-" A pause, "If... If there was better lighting you'd see it... But- I ended up here long before you came around..."

"That sounds like bullshit and we both know it." Grace muttered, unconsciously scooting closer to Simon, if only for the lighting. "I saw him die- I can remember it-"

"Then explain how we're here, talking right now." Simon said, "If this were just an illusion and you know it's fake, then how come I didn't go away with the rest of the world!?"

"I-I don't know..." Grace groaned, "This Train can be so confusing..."

A pause. She could hear the gears in Simon's brain turning at the same time her's did. Neither of them could make heads or tails of this mess- not on their own... After a moment, Simon spoke up.

"What else can you tell me about your Simon? Before he died?"

Grace shut her eyes, and dug into the furthest corners of her memories. She remembered saving the blue eyed boy as a child. They spent many months traveling together before they found their car and set up shop... She remembered their first raid as the Apex hadn't gone well... Simon's eyes had a mysterious green tint to them after that- Or had they always been teal and that was the first time she had ever truly looked into them?

Funny enough- she recalled having a similar conversation with herself once before. Back in her dream...

_'Had his eyes always been brown?_

_For as long as Grace could remember, her friend had had blue eyes. Though sometimes they lookes green, and other times she remembered hazel. Perhaps she hadn't paid close enough attention to them. They were certainly familiar in appearance. Staring into them was like looking through the door back home...'_

"I don't know anymore... I don't know where we are or who you are-" She threw herself against the wall beside Simon. "None of this makes any sense... You said you were taken by a gohm, but I *know* Gohms don't just take people. It destroys them-"

"How do you know that? M-maybe it doesn't-" Simon ran a shaking hand through his hair, "Oh God..." 

Grace watched him a moment. It startled her- she remembered her Simon as he was. Burned to ash by a creature who came out of nowhere just as he was about to kill her- just as his number reached oblivion-

_The Train interfered... It always interfered..._

"S-Simon... I think The Train replaced you... It kept replacing you until it couldn't keep making copies..." Gace looked up at the man. "The last copy couldn't be replaced... It was the worst there was."

As if a giant switch had been flipped, the dark was chased away by a blinding beam of white light. Grace felt Simon's arms around her as he pulled her close and they buried their faces in each other's shoulders to hide from the onslaught of white. 

"Aha! You've figured it out. Very clever, you two." An unfamiliar voice rang out, "I just knew I made the right decision when I picked you two."

"It only took us half a million tries..." Another voice grunted.

"W-What...?" Grace peered up and found a strange, floating orb shape in front of them.

It had a thick black line down the center of it and two lights in the middle of that. Though she couldn't see it, she could feel a smile stretching across the creature's surface... The feeling made every hair on her body stand on edge. 

"Not 'W-what'. One! One-One to be exact." The creature spoke. "Glad-One and Sad-One."

Grace's heart rate had gone from zero to 100 and she felt Simon's do the same under her palm. "Y-you're One-One!?"

"That is correct! I apologize for the little mishap that disrupted the introduction video all those years ago... But I'm happy to announce that our top engineer is working on correcting that!"

"She's the one who disrupted it..." The second voice muttered bitterly. Grace blinked in confusion.

"Your top eng-" A door slid open before she could finish. And in stepped a very familiar figure. One that was a sight for Grace's sore and confused eyes. "Amelia!?"

She didn't know whether to go and hug the old bat or stay put. Simon didn't give her much of a choice, as he tightened his hold on her. The older woman didn't make eye contact with either of them, but instead withdrew a stack of cards from her pocket and cleared her throat.

"I'm just going to get right into it-" Amelia gestured limply to Simon and began to read, "This is-"

"WHAT is going on!?" Simon groaned suddenly.

"Let me read my damn cards and I'll get to that." Amelia huffed, glaring at the man, "You piss me off no matter what version you are..."

""Version!" There. Explain that first!" Simon exclaimed. Grace took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently.

As scared as she was, she was willing to wait for answers. She watched as Amelia tossed her cards over her shoulder angrily. The tiny robot scampered down to the disgarded pile and began to (try) to stack them again. "I can't work like this, One-One. The boy is insufferable-"

"Oh, just give it a try." The robot encouraged, "I'm sure they'll take the news much better from you-"

"Or they might go crazy instead..." The robot's second voice muttered. 

"Just get on with it-" Both Simon and Grace shouted. Their nerves were already shot.

"Very well..." Amelia pointed to Simon, this time with purpose, "The Train was designed to help passengers capable of change... It never accounts for the mentally ill... Rather than turn them loose for *real* help, it tries to find the perfect one to send back... If one fails, it sends in another... We usually don't tell them, but One-One says this is a special case..."

Simon's eyes widened in horror and Amelia continued. "I know, shocking that somewhere there is a 'perfect' version of _You_ , Simon."

One-One chuckled suddenly, "Silly Amelia- This *is* the perfect Simon Laurent! I told you we'd find him eventually." 

The old woman wrinkled her nose, but made no comment. She simply turned and stared at the frightened pair, seemingly studying them. "I'm sorry to say, Grace. But your little boyfriend there is an imitation-"

"Wrong again." The robot's second voice groaned. "Are we sure we want her to work with us...? She gets a lot of stuff wrong."

"Of course we do, Sad-One!" The other voice- perhaps Glad-One said, "But we'll discuss her employment later! The important thing is that Simon-Classic gets to go home with Grace-Classic. A rarity! A truly special case."

Grace's heart stilled in her chest. Her skin felt ice cold and sweaty all at the same time. The implication horrified her... How many people had the Train replaced? How many families didn't notice the change when their loved ones got home...? Was the change as obvious as a switched eye colours? Were some unrecognizable? 

How many replaced people had Grace encountered...?

"This is sick...- you can't just replace people! That's wron-"

"But we didn't replace anyone today! Only the classics survived." Grace felt a chill run down her spine. "I knew that little bug in his brain would go away on its own-"

"And You'll have to live with that knowledge the rest of your life." Sad-One huffed, "Have fun with that."

"But this Simon isn't the one I traveled with- we don't know each other-" Grace stuttered, looking over at the fightened blonde. "My Simon had friends on the Train! He had me-"

She hadn't seen him blink in a quite a while- thick tears were running down his face. Some dripped onto Grace's cheek, and she let them dry on her skin. It itched uncomfortably, but it let her know they were both alive.

"But you two do know each other! Quite well after the test run!" One-One beamed and Grace felt her face go red. "You two even figured it out together before we could release you. That's never happened before either. Truly, you two are the perfecr power couple."

Grace gulped thickly and glanced over to Amelia, who remained unconcerned and unmoved by the conversation. She actually seemed quite annoyed. But somewhere, Grace could detect a hint of sadness in the old woman. Her heart went out to her- if only for a split second.

"When I try to replace the deceased, it's a crime against the Train..." Amelia was muttering, arms folded over her chest.

"Your husband died outside of the Train... Get over it." Sad-One hissed. 

Grace couldn't take anymore of this. She rose quickly to her feet, dragging Simon up with her. Their hands were wound tightly around one another's- it was comforting. Even if this wasn't her Simon- they were connected now by an ever growing hatred for anything One-One... Just as it always should be. 

"Run." 

Whether Grace or Simon had given the command was irrelevant. They took off the moment the word was out there. Car exits were passed, the angry shouting behind them was ignored, and they didn't stop until they were in the next car- a jungle themed nightmare that was all too familiar to Grace. 


	10. The Wait is Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time for real.

The Jungle Car was familiar to Grace. 

She had spent many days here once- its where she and Simon took their first vacation in years, where they met Hazel and Tuba... It had special meaning to her- she wondered if the Simon whose hand she held knew that. 

"Do you recognize this place?" She hummed, their fingers still intertwined.

"A little..." Simon muttered, "What are we doing here?" 

"We're going to get our baby and then we're finding a way off of this damn Hell Train." Grace replied.

"Hazel- Shes real too?" Simon raised a quizzical eyebrow. 

"She is-"

A rustle of leaves cut her off. Grace's head snapped quickly in the direction the sound has come from. The glowing reptile denzins scampered away quickly as the branch above them shook. She didn't have to wonder long who was shaking it.

A voice spoke. "Trespassers are given as food- to the MIGHTY HAZEL!" 

The girl lept from the tree branch seconds later. Her tangled hair flowed behind her as she fell. Simon and Grace raced one another to catch her. It ended in a pile of people, all hugging one another in a bittersweet reunion.

"H-hey Hazel." Grace sniffled, pressing her cheek to the little girl's pudgy one. "Its good to see your face- your real one."

"Its good to see yours too!" Hazel giggled- she stopped when she saw Simon's. 

She studied him silently for a long time. Grace watched her shrink away when she made eye contact with him. Meanwhile, Simon remained unmoved. Just confused.

"Brown eyes..." Hazel muttered after a moment. "Simon doesn't have-"

"Its a long story." Grace sighed, "And really hard to explain- But this *is* Simon. The real one- the one you met was just a copy One-One made."

Hazel sunk back further. Grace could see the discomfort and pain and- guilt? In those little eyes. The girl hugged herself tightly and looked away from the pair. Grace frowned and gathered her up into a strong hug. "Hey- its okay... One-One tricked all of us in the Fake World..."

"But it hurt you and real Simon..." Hazel muttered sadly.

Grace glanced over at the blonde. He sat on his knees, hands folded in his lap. The poor thing looked so confused as he watched Hazel. Just as new to this reality as she probably was... Or perhaps it was the memories of his false lives coming back. Either way it was sad to watch.

"Simon?" Grace spoke finally, "So you remember anything from your false lives?"

"Bits and pieces- mostly good things..." He admitted, "But I take it I wasn't a good person?"

"The worst." A chime cut Grace off.

The tell-tale sound that meant numbers were recalculating. She looked at her hand and found her number down to 1 already. Her heart sunk into her stomach... It didn't even feel real. 

"Me too..." She heard Simon whisper as he set his shaking hand next to her still one. Two pale green 1s glowed brightly on their open palms. "What now...?"

"We could go at any second now... We should just sit tight for now." Grace mumbled, holding Hazel tightly to herself. "And hope this time its for real."

"But then what? We go home and go our seperate ways?" The blonde frowned. "We just lived a perverted illusion of our lives together- how do we come back from that?"

"First of all- I'm not leaving you. Not after all of this." She set her hand on top of the blonde's. "You may not be the Simon I met, but you are the one I fell in love with during those fake years... Besides- I'd say we've gotten to know each other *pretty* well in that time."

Simon's ears took on a pink tint and he bowed his head to hide his blush. "Y-you're taking this pretty well..."

"My Simon is a pile of ash and I've seen you naked already. I'm willing to accept anything at this point." She squeezed his hand gently. 

Hazel gasped, "W-wait- You actually saw him-" Grace set her free hand over the child's mouth.

"Several times... And even if it wasn't real, it was real enough to us." She offered a kind, yet flirty smile to her former pretend husband. 

"Grace- none of that was real... Or right!" Simon argued, "I thought you weren't real and you thought I was someone else-" 

Grace frowned and removed her hand from Hazel's mouth and set it over Simon's heart. It was racing under her palm but it seemed to settle slightly at her touch.

"Calm down." She said softly. "We didn't do anything neither of us didn't want to do... My Simon or not. We still fell in love first... We were in a situation where we *could* fall in love and I'm grateful for that."

"It still seems wrong..." Simon sighed. "We don't even know if-"

"Well, we could always make it official." She smirked and Hazel giggled quietly as Simon's face went bright red. 

He buried his face in his hands. "Grace- not in front of Hazel!" 

"Later then."

* * *

It was night time when they set up a small camp to wait in. They worked carefully and quietly. As if afraid that one wrong (or right) move would send one home before the other. Hazel was curled up beside them in Simon's jacket, with a troubled look on her face as she slept. They both kept a hand on her shoulder. Ready to grab her at a moment's notice. 

"We never got to fix the Apex... Or any of the damage we've done." Grace said, watching as a small fire crackled before them. 

"Whose to say if any of that was real...?" Simon sighed, "Maybe you were locked away like I was..."

"Maybe we were all locked away- living fake lives until the Train could decide what it wanted to do with us...?" She watched the flames as they danced and spun about. It reminded her of her ballet and it made her heart long for home.

"Its all so fucked up..." A stick snapped between Simon's hands and he tossed it onto the fire. "I don't want to think about it..."

"Me either..." Grace sighed, "Can we just skip ahead a few chapters? Maybe to the 'and they all lived happily ever after'...?"

"I don't think that's how real time works." Simon said, "Maybe in the False World-"

"You know- its funny but I don't remember ever knowing what day or time it was while we were there... For all we know, time just moved how we wanted it to." She frowned. 

"And we wanted to skip to the good parts." Simon finished up. "We just jumped over anything difficult..."

"Thats not how I want to live my life now. I want to take the good and the bad." Her free hand wrapped around Simon's. "And according to One-One, I got the best." 

The man's blush was illuminated by the fire. Tears sparkled in his eyes as he looked deeply into Grace's. There was something familiar about them- she wondered if Simon felt the same. Perhaps they had met somewhere somehow, outside of the Fake World. He smiled faintly at her. In Grace's heart, she knew she wanted to protect that smile. 

Somewhere deep inside of her, she knew she loved him and he loved her. That was the only thing she knew was real. 

"When we get off this Train- how about we go on a real date?" Simon asked, "You know? Real couple stuff?"

"Like dinner and a movie?" Grace smirked, "I'm down for that... It sure beats running a cult and being a sitcom for a robot."

Simon laughed softly, and Grace laughed with him. It felt good to laugh with a friend- boyfriend- whatever this Simon would be to her now. At any rate- he was an equal.

"I'm ready to start out lives together." Grace said when the laughter stopped, and she pressed her cheek to Simon's. "For real this time."

"Me too..." 

"I love you, Simon Laurent..."

"I love you, Grace Monroe." 

They didn't notice the flames had changed was red to gold. Nor did they hear the doors as they opened for them. None of it mattered. It was a hallow victory. One they felt they hadn't truly deserved in their past life. The Train had muddled their lives so badly already. 

They rose slowly and Simon gathered Hazel into his arms before joining hands with Grace again. They stepped towards their exit, and could hear One-One overhead, encouraging them to have safe travels. Grace's grip one Simon's hand tightened. 

"Hey, One-One!" She shouted at no one in particular. "Fuck you and your stupid Train!" 

In one movement, she grabbed Simon, dipped him and kissed him deeply. It was warm and clumsy and sweet and sad and real and amazing all at once and she felt Simon smiling into it. When they surfaced for air, they grabbed hands and hurried off the Train. 

To no one's surprise- Hazel came with... The Train owed them that much. The sleeping child slept through the whole thing. Only muttering one thing before they left. 

"Don't worry... I'll make sure they're good this time around..." 

Whatever that meant- Grace didn't know and she didn't care to know. 

They were finally home now.

That was all that mattered.


End file.
